Beautiful Swan
by PoisonAngelTears
Summary: Set during 1800s-ish. Isabella Swan is eight years old and barely ready for dancing lessons, so why must she be the motivation for her parents to pay off their debts? Huh, what's this about love? Rated T cuz I'm paranoid.


**PAT: Okay, now, you MUST READ THIS author's note before you read the story. WHEN YOU ARE DONE READING THE STORY, READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM IF YOU WANT MORE DETAIL ON THE STORY. IT'S THE WAY IT WORKS PEOPLE! ENJOY TEH STORY!**

" Carlisle, please, she's but a child, She knows not of the dangers of our world! I beg you, do not take my Isabella."

I could hear mother crying her eyes out as silently as she could, my father's heartbroken voice barely a whisper.

At the time, I knew not what sort of deal was being made. I was only of eight summers then, however, I _was _known for being quite the sharp-witted little girl in Italy. I had been asleep that night, lying cozily in my bed when I was awakened by the sound of my dear mother's cries.

Mother did not cry easily, only if it was something to do with the family or things she loved would she even have to choke back a sob.

I wandered down, still in my small, cerulean nightdress, my tiny silver slippers making no noise as I hovered behind the great Oak doors that lead into the formal Living Room.

I could sense that there were more people in the room, one of them must have been that Carlisle man Father was talking to earlier. I listened closely, curiosity piqued.

"Father, why don't we just hold onto their house, we don't need a useless human hanging about _our_ house, getting into things one ought not to know of." **(A/N:Three cookies to anyone whop can guess who said this!^.^)**

My eyes were wide, I knew that the voice had been excruciatingly beautiful but I could not help but feel sad at the insult. I knew that the creatures in our home were not human now, I was pretty sure of who they were, the Cullen's. The Royal Family. Higher than even the Italian Volturi. I knew more about the unknown than they obviously thought I knew. Being part of the supernatural myself…but I had promised upon my name never to reveal my power and heritage. I was about to lift my hand when I heard the one called Alice speak.

"Father, I refuse to leave this place unless that curious child is in our presence, the Swan's can find the money they owe us while we hold onto her for…safekeeping. It's either that or they be sent to court in Italy." Her soprano, chime-like voice rang through the room with fiery determination and I was stunned by her audacity in being able to openly threaten someone of our (my family and I) social, political, and all around status in our own home, especially with me right-oh, but they don't know any of that. It was our vow as a family, only known by our family.

We had sworn never to reveal our power to anyone deemed unworthy of that knowledge. I hesitated, chewing on my lip, ignoring the now active conversation taking place between the occupants of the room concerning me.

'Oh, dear Lord, I'll agree and make them _shut up_! I've had quite enough of this and I wish for Mother and Father to be able to retrieve me after the shortest time possible…probably three days time just for appearance's sake.

We have hundred's of thousands stashed everywhere around the house under the protection of Mother's circle spells. It just looks awkward to just pull money "out of nowhere" in the exact amount requested.

I lifted my tiny hands towards the iron handle and gently tugged the massive door outwards as the warm, orange glow from the fire in the hearth heated my skin, flushing my cheeks instantly. I slowly glided into the room and straight towards my parents with my head high and my eyes blank.

"Isabella, darling, why are you awake? Are you not tired from the day's happenings?" my kind mother asked, tears still running their course.

I gazed at them both, memorizing their oh so familiar faces.

My father's strong yet kind features gave me the greatest sense of protection whenever I was with him.

Mother's loving yet stern aura always left me feeling so appreciative of my life.

I received my pale jade eyes as a combination of her startlingly emerald eyes mixing with my father's misty silver eyes.

They both shared similarly thick, wavy, mahogany hair that was passed down onto me and my hair was back-length and usually kept up so as to not become too irritating.

Father had warm, strong skin with a color that often reminded me of beaches and sand in the glow of the moonlight and while Mother had the same skin tone, hers was always smooth, soft, and bare of unsightly hair or blemishes, just like mine.

Father often joked that I was their little hybrid and teased that if I were to be split into two halves, one would be Charlie (father's name) and the other would be Renee (mother's name).

I watched their faces as both came to the conclusion that I was willing to go along with the Cullen's. Their body language told me of the silent oaths they made to rescue me soon and I knew I would wait for them as anxiously as they would me.

I hugged them tightly, relaxing into the warmth of their returned embraces.

I turned and looked directly into the face of the leader, Carlisle, he was also the Town's best Medical Practitioner and I had heard rumors of his great and overwhelming compassion towards all, not just his kind.

Ah, yes, the Cullen's are famous for not only their individual members, but the fact that they openly admit that they _are_ vampires. It only draws more attention, both good and bad, but they have been invited to stay in what was _supposed_ to be Swan territory as the Royal Family.

I was very upset that we had been replaced by people who had barely even lived in our country for more than a decade when our family had lived here for more than 25 generations. My family and I had gone to Italy and returned so it was really only 24 and ½ but that shouldn't matter.

As I stared deep into Carlisle's electric golden eyes, I kept my head high and opened my mouth, ready to speak before anything else happened.

"I am willing to accompany you and your coven for as long as it requires my Mother and Father to acquire and pay the money they owe you but I must make it clear to you that once they have given you the _exact amount you previously specified, no more, no less, _I **will **be returning immediately to my own home and family, " I paused to let my words sink into their minds, "do I make myself clear, Sir Cullen?"

There were a few moments in which I recognized the sign of reluctance showing on all of their faces and I could feel my expression becoming slightly fierce, my vocal cords expanding to allow some of my power to increase my vocal range and tones as my posture grew rigid and unmoving.

"_**Sir Cullen, Lady Cullen," **_this time I made it clear that my demands applied to them all by addressing not only their Father/ leader, but their Mother as well,_** "I hope you will hear my words and realize that I am, in all respects, being completely serious in my intentions. Now, I will ask you again, Do. I. Make. My. Self. Clear?"**_

I got better results this time round as the whole family nodded their heads with completely sober looks upon their faces.

I relaxed, leaning back into my parents for one last hug and smiled at my new…hosts. "Let me go to change into something more appropriate and we may leave." I said and I gracefully ascended to my room and left a silence in return.

**EPOV**

I had never seen anything like the fierce, fiery, lioness that just left the room. Tension that had built up and crushed even my infallible will fled the room and allowed us to take unnecessary breaths even though the two humans, Charles and Renee Swan, merely smiled fondly in the direction in which their daughter retreated to.

_Dear lord, that girl is worse than Rosalie and Alice after having not purchased anything for a year!_

Jasper had no idea how right he was, the girl looked as if she was annoyed and frustrated and most of all…I couldn't read her. I had gotten over the shock just before she had spoken, but I now felt as if I was missing out on what could be the most intriguing thing ever to have existed.

_Hmmm…it seems as though her parents are quite used to this behavior from their only child. Edward?_

I nodded slightly, their minds were filled with fond thoughts of memories in which she would act the same way, I was busy trying to absorb every detail of those memories. I wanted to know more of her. There weren't many memories, her being the age that she is, but each one that appeared was helpful in my quest to…

Wait! What was I doing? That this mere slip of a human child, a _girl_ no less, could cause me to search memories of her from other people…what has she done to me?

My mind got stuck on a memory of her singing in the moonlight, a present for her parent's 6th anniversary which had only been two nights ago, if the thoughts flowing through her mother's head were accurate.

My breath caught, she looked so beautiful, she was dressed in a floor length cerulean evening gown and it faded into an icy shade of white and she wore a silver Waiting ring dotted with top-quality topazes and polished, pale jade that matched the stones on her platinum charm bracelet and Beloved necklace while her gorgeous, dark locks were loose and flowing elegantly around her upper body **(A/N: For an attempt at a replication of the outfit, see profile...)** as her voice resonated through out the mind of her mother in what I recognized as a newer song titled "Innocence" but the original singer's name escapes me and I didn't care as Isabella sung this song for her parents with a passion and love that reminded me of Alice and Jasper's love, even Carlisle and Esme's love.

So entranced was I, that I almost failed to notice the return of our new fiery child until her raging scent hit me like a full on tackle from Emmett.

At the moment, she smelt of brewing coffee, dark and impatient, but at the back of my mind a small voice argued that there was a hint of…rubbing alcohol, which usually indicated the felling of annoyance or irritation.

Suddenly, I was standing, and my family and I, plus Isabella, now left the manor and returned to our home.

I sighed, wondering if Alice's vision of Isabella and I together was even worth the foreseen trouble it was going to take to get there.

I looked towards Isabella as she glowed in the light of the moon that shone through the large bay window next to my baby grand piano and observed her ever glowing eyes as they gazed out into the night skies. Her posture reminding me of a beautiful and graceful swan, just longing to take flight out into the heavens above and never come down, but unable to even move for the pain of a newly broken wing.

I wanted to take that longing away, I wanted the lovely little swan all to myself, I wanted her to never wish to leave my presence ever again! I…I

I'm in love.

I'm in love with her, with Isabella Marie Swan and she was a mere eight years of age…

_Yes, but she is _human_, Edward, she _will_ grow, she will age, and most of all, she will know who and what we are. You should never make assumptions without looking at the future chances._

Alice…I knew she was right but…

_Edward, I may not be able to read your mind but I can _still _feel your emotions. For an eight year old human girl, the child has an amazing range of emotions. You never know what she might feel next, it's astounding. And as such, you may never know when she will love you._

I sighed, Jasper made sense as well, but in reality, I knew that I would always be in agony, never being able to know if she might love me or not.

I was shocked out of my musings when I felt a small hand stroke my face.

I froze, she was touching me…I didn't know what to do. So I remained still but gently leaned into her touch, hoping not to frighten the beautiful creature before me.

She just gazed into my eyes, seemingly searching my very soul for something. She must have found it, for she smiled gently and to my immense pleasure and shock, she wrapped her arms round me and laid her head on my stone hard chest, her childish height dwarfing her in my huge frame.

I felt her breathing calm but she was merely content, at peace in my arms, I suppose.

I was about to ask the reasoning behind her actions when I felt her draw breath to speak.

"I know not a thing about you except the bare basics of which are floating in the town's gossip mill and yet…and yet I know. I _know_," she paused and tilted her head up to my own, her face alight with…_love_ and tears almost ready to spill from her eyes, "I _know_ that we were meant to be together. Judge me how you wish, but I stand by my instincts. I love you, I should be mad at this fact but I don't care, _I'm happy, I love you and I'm happy. _It was when you looked at me with such a longing but altruistic expression that I knew it wasn't just a fault in my mortal body to feel as if you were the reason for the world to exist, I knew then that it was love."

I stood in blessed silence until I replied in seven simple words, words that completely set our future happiness in stone in Alice's visions, words that caused this glorious angel in my arms to sob for joy, the seven words that sent both of us into a euphoric kiss to prove our love for one another.

"_**I love you too, my beautiful swan."**_

Our lives, were entwined so deeply, so fully, so complexly afterwards, that all memories of life before our meeting, were gone in a flash.

**PAT: Okay, well, that was my latest story of Saturday, if you're wondering what happened with the whole money thing, reread the last sentence and work it out, meeting someone usually implies both people acknowledging their presence, Isabella didn't do that until they (the Cullen's and her) had left her home. Charlie and Renee were obviously okay with it, they only wanted what was best for their daughter and as long as Edward never hurt her, they wouldn't mope about the fact that Isabella had forgotten them.**

**Please R and R, flames will be used to warm the Living Room. **


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